NOTES OF THROE
by Hanslie
Summary: Written in the perspective of King David, Uriah and Joab. Don't talk to me about rapture or what fabrication etc, you closed minded people. Review based on the story. Be nice and kind. Dont quote to me that God didnt like what i was doing. God gave us imaginations to understand and feel His word.


Disclaimer: I don't own the Bible or any of its characters.

Note: I am not, by all means, rewriting or fabricating the Word of God, the Bible or the story of David. Then why am I writing this? The reason was very simple, I love stories, when I read the Bible, I've always wanted to read it in such a way that I could feel what the characters were feeling. But, the Bible, wasn't written in such a way, many were cut off short, many were one-sided and many were just written to just inform us. I've known many authors wrote the detailed story of the life of the characters in the Bible and some of them wrote it in such a way that would help us, readers, to understand more about God and the Bible characters themselves. Ironically, I am such a reader, I want to understand, I want to feel and I want to explore and expound more. So, if I am offending you by writing such a story, by all means, you have the right not to read it.

Is our God so close minded that He wouldn't allow us to empathize with the characters in the Bible, try to understand them and try to imagine: "why did he feel that way?" "Why didn't he punish his son?" Is it so wrong to imagine and try to fill in the blanks where the story didn't finish? If He is that kind of god, then, He wouldn't be my Lord and Savior. God gave us a mind to think, to feel, to imagine, to empathize and to cry with the characters written in the Bible and other books. By feeling what the characters were feeling made me understood them more, it made think that, like us, they were humans and in terrible need of God's grace. I have tried my best to stay faithful to the real Bible story of King David, but, as I've said, in this case, many were left unsaid and undetailed. It took me 2 weeks of my free time to go into the mind of these characters and rereading the story in the Bible over and over again. I have added a lot of **possibilities** in regards to what may David, Uriah and Joab might have felt during that time. It is just possibilities and didn't our God gave us minds to discern? This is strictly for entertainment, please don't literally read it as such that it had **actually happened, no, it isn't meant to be like that. But it is meant for the readers to understand the life of king David more.** May God give us the discernment to read wisely.

The idea to write came when I wrote the fanfic of Gone With The Wind, and it came upon me, that if I could write such story that I actually went into the characters' mind and felt what they felt, why couldn't I do that with the bible characters? It can help many people too.

NOTES OF THROE

King David was inattentive to the meeting before him, as he sat on his throne, looking out the window and daydreaming when one of his attendant passed him a note. Surprised, he excused and turned himself to the side for a moment, he opened the note and it read, "I'm pregnant. Bathsheba" His eyes snapped open widely. How could she be pregnant?! It was only one night. His mind began to race and his breathing short. It took his wives and concubines many times of sexual intercourse before any of them get pregnant.

 _Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God."_

Sin, it was plain and simple. When it was within the context of marriage, it took time and effort to get pregnant but when it was done outside of marriage, surely the fruit of their sin would expose their deeds. No! He refused to think about Yahweh now. After that night, he couldn't approach the presence of Yahweh, he stopped singing, writing music, writing psalms and worshipping his Lord. There were times, he thought he was insane, he began to unconsciously think of a new line.

 _When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long._

No, he had to think fast. This was a race against time and he must win. He quickly wrote a note then sealed it. He signaled to one of his attendant, handed the note to him and whispered, "send this important note to Joab quickly. Run to the battle camps and personally give it to him." the attendant nodded then quietly went out of the meeting room.

He would send Uriah to his wife so he wouldn't be responsible for an illegitimate child. He would make sure he make love to his wife and when the child was born a few weeks earlier, no one will suspect a thing.

 _They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;_

No, he refused to acknowledge the Spirit was bothering his conscience, but words that he wrote years, months and weeks ago came back to haunt his mind. The Spirit was stirring his mind and he kept brushing it aside. It was already too late, he needed to remedy the problem fast.

IIIII

"Uriah did not go home, my lord." The attendant he commanded to spy Uriah said nonchalantly.

"Very well, bring him to my presence."

David was fuming with anger inside. That fool of a man didn't go home last night, after he went to all the trouble of not only bringing him to his presence and had small military talks with him of which, he had no interest in, he even sent a gift after him! The nerve! He slept at the palace entrance last night?! If it was David, he would surely go home and make love to his wife. His beautiful wife, Bathsheba! This fool didn't know what he have, he won't even leave his wife's side if it was him. The king forgot altogether that they were at war and all men were supposed to enlist to be warriors for their country. His mind was scheming and plotting how to convince this fool of a man to go home and be with his wife when he heard footsteps approaching his throne. He looked up and pasted a pleasant smile on his face, then spoke:

"Haven't you just come from a military campaign? Why didn't you go home?"

Uriah gaped at the king with surprise, David had been adamant about the fact that those on a mission for the king should keep themselves from sexual intercourse—this had been their practice way before he was king of Israel, but since the days when they were on the run from the tyrant king Saul. Uriah was aghast that the king would suggest otherwise.

Uriah's mouth twitched to the side ironically, he had heard a gossip for some time now, the news had reached the military camps. He had heard bits and pieces but he refused to believe something so dishonorable, especially when he loved his wife and honored the king. His voice was hard, yet with gentle rebuke, he answered the king with honored respect:

"The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!"

The stubborn man! David was inwardly seething with hot rage for this man, he was taken aback with his righteousness, Uriah after all, reminded him of his young self, his stubbornness not to touch the Lord's anointed. Dangling to his face about honor, being patriotic and stubborn loyalty to him. To hell with him! But the king continued to smile pleasantly then answered with glee:

"Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back."

Uriah bowed and he was dismissed by the king.

 _The wicked plots against the righteous_

 _And gnashes at him with his teeth_.

David cringed inside as his mind was reminded again of these words he wrote long ago, he looked on at Uriah's back as he continued walking out of the room, he was glaring and seething discreetly. As much as he wanted to deny, he was becoming a wicked man, for there was a very thin line between a righteous man and a wicked man if went unchecked. The king was not exempted from the lust of the flesh and human nature by itself was prone to sinning. The Spirit had been bothering his conscience for weeks and days now. He sometimes had sleepless nights, he had dark circles under his eyes and he put all the blame on Uriah for not doing what he wanted. For weeks, sin was weighing him down and it annoyed him. He was irritated all the time, he got angry at the smallest mistakes his servants done, and he even shouted at some of them, which he never done. No, he would not allow something he wrote long ago to bother him right now. What he needed to do right now was to get that fool do what he had purposed him to come for. David gritted his teeth together, he would make him do it no matter what, after all, he was king.

 _For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer._

IIIII

A dark figure stumbled about dizzily as he approached the royal garden of the king's palace. His eyes were red, his whole body grimed with dirt and soil, he smelled of a man who hadn't taken a bath for weeks, his head and beard were filled with lice, like a man who was in the midst of war. Uriah was drunk, but sober enough to have perused what the king was doing. He just walked out from the king's table, he ate and drank his fill, it was a merry festivity, but it confirmed his fears. He sat down on the grass of the royal garden, he began to retch, suddenly he turned to his side and gagged out all the food and liquor he ate and drank. His eyes were filled with tears, it dawned on him with a big blow that he was betrayed by someone he deeply respect. He was broken with grief and sorrow, his heart was tight with a heartbreak so dark and painful he couldn't fathom. He rested his head in his hands, he wept to Yahweh his pain.

He admired the king like all the people in Israel and Judah, he admired him when he refused to touch the Lord's anointed even when he had opportunities to do so, he admired him for trusting in Yahweh's promises even when situations were hopeless, and he respected him all the more for the deep expression of worship he gave to Yahweh when he brought the Ark back to the City of David, he hadn't mind dancing and jumping in the presence of all people half naked! He respected his king with all his heart. All the people, young and old of Israel and Judah loved and admired their king, even more so, the people who worked and served him. However, like all humans, he had his own flaws and weaknesses, he loved women and prophet Nathan had often warned him of this. He watched it first hand how he would often looked at beautiful women like a hungry dog when he had a lot of wives and concubines already. It was no wonder that he would have fallen into sin in the long run. He was human after all, he also noticed him slacking off as of late, he should be leading them in the war, not slacking off and looking at another man's beautiful wife. His wife!

"Oh, Bathsheba, my wife, my lamb, my sweet, my life!" He moaned.

Bathsheba, his wife, was as innocent as an ewe. She was always so innocent, naïve and wanting to please the people around her. If it wasn't because of her husband protecting her, people always took advantage of her naivety. He was sure if he go back home, his sweet wife would do no other thing, but to serve him, dote him and would do everything to make him feel comfortable and feel at home. Such a sweet ewe. Being a warrior away from home must have made her an easy target, for her innocence and naivety had always been her weaknesses. She was honest, easy to peruse and without guile, if and when someone plan to hoax or defraud her, she wouldn't know it until it was too late and despite that, she refused to even think dishonorably about anyone, she couldn't and wouldn't fight back or talk back either. He wasn't home to protect her, his sweet ewe. He choked as tears run down his grimy face. He missed his wife and he longed to hold her in his protective arms.

He began to weep sorrowfully again, he knew what the king would do if he refused to go home tonight. He would not go to his wife. He would accept the fate Yahweh had allowed to transpire. He would trust Yahweh with his destiny and he would not, by all means, touch the Lord's anointed.

Uriah bowed his head and prayed to the God whom he trust, his loyal spirit loved and trusted Yahweh and he would do what was right in His sight, even if it would kill him. He prayed that Yahweh would give him the courage to face his death, he prayed that the king would learn from this sin and ask for Yahweh's forgiveness and he prayed for his sweet, innocent Bathsheba, his lamb, his wife, his life. He prayed that Yahweh would protect her and take care of her. Lastly, he asked Yahweh to help him forgive the King. He was heaving and weeping as his whole body slumped on the grass, he continued to moan, to choke heavily, to groan and to cry his heart out.

 _The_ _Lord_ _himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."_

Peace stirred in his heart when he remembered what Yahweh promised to Israel's ancestral leader, Joshua, this time, it was a promise he took personally for himself. It was as if Yahweh spoke and comforted him. Uriah wept as he continued to pour out his heart to Yahweh, but this time, his tears were of peaceful submission and obedience to his Maker, he had resolved to submit his fate to Him, the peace he felt now was beyond understanding, though his heart was heavy to part this world, but when he was done, he stood up, blotted his tears with the sleeves of his garments and went to the servants' quarters again to sleep.

The sun shone brightly as its rays went in between through the gaps of the trees. Uriah splashed water to his face, arms and bared upper body from the well outside the servant's quarters, the sun's rays were resting on his bare skin down to his clothed lower garments. He felt refresh when he felt the cold wind on his damped skin. Slowly, he wore his upper body garments and put on his armors, he had a resolved, stubborn look on his face. Before going back to report to the king, Uriah set out to his home and from a distance, he stood and looked on at his beautiful wife, his lamb, she run about doing things inside their sweet home. He longed to touch and hold her in his arms. She was so innocent and naïve, what would she do without him? Tears run down from Uriah's eyes as he continued looking at her every move, he loved her. He knew she loved him and she was a good and loyal wife.

 _Oh, my poor lamb!_

He could only watch and pray that Yahweh would watch over her and take care of her.

He slowly turned away. It was time to face the king. He resigned himself to Yahweh's hands whatever his fate would be, his resolve to trust Yahweh was stronger than anything.

IIIII

"He did what?!"

David shot up from his bed, he was just about to start his breakfast in bed, when his spy reported to him about Uriah. The weight of stress he was carrying for weeks gushed out finally, he was shouting at the top of his lungs! That fool of a man did not go home last night! Damn his honor! He was stamping his foot like a child throwing a temper tantrum, his rage and fury going unchecked. He took the breakfast tray from the cringing and shaking attendant near him and hurled his breakfast into the wall, the silverwares reverberated loudly in the bedchamber, thus splattered the food to the wall and carpet and all the liquids splashed all about the room. He strode to his night table, he began to grab and hurl things about the room. The spy and attendant discreetly went to the corner of the room, the king's back was behind them, they were cowering with fear, their king continued to hurl things in a furious fit of white rage.

 _He plans wickedness upon his bed; He sets himself on a path that is not good;_

He threw into another series of white fury, he was stamping with rage and hurling all the things around the room, when he remembered the untimely psalm he wrote, that made him angrier all the more. Why did he keep remembering? He thought irritatingly. For a minute or two, the 2 people behind the king thought, he looked so not unlike king Saul. The king was now kicking and banging the table, then he strode to his bed and began to rip and hurl around the pillows. The king was trying to spare Uriah's life, but that fool won't let him. Now, he had to kill him. Suddenly, he stopped and his face brightened with wicked thoughts and lust that he had been suppressing for weeks. Yes, he smirked with wicked glee, he found it quite a surprise himself that it was becoming easier and easier for him to have one evil plan after another. Yes, he could finally have her and he could be a hero for taking in a widow and her child, and nobody would know the better. People would praise him for his kindness. He began to laugh. He was a pure genius! He praised himself that he was able to devise such a cunning plan.

 _Keep your tongue from evil_

 _And your lips from speaking deceit._

That Psalm be damned! Of all the time for that line to spoke to him why now after he already have devised his plan. He was irritated again but he would continue with his carefully devised plan. He signaled for his attendant.

"Bring me another tray of food and I will eat in my throne room. And you, bring Uriah to my presence."

When Uriah arrived, the king had finished his breakfast, he was neatly clothed with his kingly garments and he greeted Uriah with a pleasant smile. The king's heart raced faster when Uriah squarely looked him straight in the eye. Uriah's expression was peacefully resigned.

 _The fool knows!_

The king gritted his teeth and he gave him an equally stubborn look. Both of them stared at each other, the more the king looked at him, the more he felt uncomfortable.

 _I know that the_ _Lord_ _will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor._

The king turned his eyes away. Damn that Psalm and damn his weak heart. The king pulled himself together, he had to do this. He signaled to one of his attendant, the attendant moved towards Uriah with a small tray in both his hands, a sealed note was on top of it.

"Please, kindly, hand this note to Joab."

Uriah nodded and bowed. The king dismissed him with a wave of his hand, he turned and walked away, his back straight with resolve and dignity, but ironically with resignation.

IIIII

Uriah handed the sealed note to Joab with nonchalant expression. Joab studied his face after he tore and scanned through the note, he sighed and dismissed him. He sat down on the nearest cushioned seat inside his tent. What could the king be thinking? Uriah was one of his most loyal captain and he loved the king. Woman?! The gossip had been true after all. When he sent Uriah home, he had been very uneasy and he'd made a reasonable excuse for him to bring news back to the king. He had feared for Uriah and he had feared what the king would do to him. Both the king and Uriah had a lot in common, their stubborn honor, their loyalty and their love for Yahweh, the only difference was, it had been no secret the king loved women and had quite a number of wives and concubines but Uriah was seriously devoted and loyal to his wife. He sighed again, women would be the downfall of them all! Joab was willing to dirty his hands again for the king, without question, for Joab was a vile and ruthless man, though Uriah was blameless, he would dirty his hands for the king, it was something he had to do to hold something from the king, Joab, after all, was a cunning and shrewd man, and he didn't get that position as commander without his own wiles. He might not like what he was about to do, but he would do it, nonetheless.

Joab made sure to keep Uriah busy and far away from the camp as he called all his captains together for a meeting inside his tent.

"Captains, we need to renew our strategies, if not we are not going to win this war."

Nicely put, he had all their attention. He looked at each man in the eye, these captains were all friends with Uriah, he was not sure what their reactions might be, he had to be discreet and he had to tread carefully, he didn't want to give the king a bad name. His forehead was perspiring. He'd got to pull himself together.

"We are going to attack tonight and we need to rotate our stations. Captain Zabad, I will put you and your warriors to station A and captain Gareb, I will put you and your warriors to station N."

"So captain Uriah will be in station J? Alone with his warriors, with limited man-power, Commander? Captain Uriah hadn't enough warriors, sir commander, usually the fiercest battle is in station J, sir." Captain Zabad queried with mingling fear for his friend.

"Yes, captain Zabad, alone with his warriors. They can manage alone, they are capable warriors." Joab answered confidently, but inside his stomach was churning, he was uncomfortable by their questions.

"Maybe, we could let captain Uriah borrow some of our mightiest warriors, sir?" captain Gareb suggested, his voice was filled with hope.

Joab's mind was working rapidly, he was weighing one option after another. He shouldn't be obvious with these men or there would be an uproar. If he didn't pull this through successfully, these captains would begin to hate their king and he would never let that happen. He needed to play this game with subtle stratagems that would make these people not hate their king.

"Yes, please lend Captain Uriah 2 of your mightiest warriors, captain Zabad and captain Gareb, but nothing more."

"Yes, sir!"

Joab dismissed them with a wave of his hand, then he sat down on the edge of his cushioned bed with a loud sigh, he massaged the sides of his forehead with his knuckles. He had pulled through that meeting without ruckus. Now, the only feat he would have to work for was to withdraw his troops discreetly, except for Uriah's station. He would wait when the battle was fiercest and everything was in great chaos, he would make sure the enemies were heaviest on Uriah's station, before he would shout for pullbacks.

IIIII

The night was warm, though the wind blew its cool breezes to the faces of the soldiers, none of them felt the chill. The moon was shinning brightly, it didn't matter, for many of them, even their opponents, brought fiery torches. They were all marching forward to land a surprise attack, Uriah's muscles were all activated, he was fighting for his life after all, he would want to die an honorable death. He and his men positioned themselves, he was holding a sword on his right hand and a shield on his left. He looked on, he saw their enemies were closing in on them. Suddenly, he held his shield above his head, arrows were falling on them from the sky, they didn't know, they didn't see, they weren't prepared for that attack, all of them were surprised—they were the ones who'd been surprised attack instead. But, they were experienced and trained warriors, they could feel it and they could sense it, with every fiber of their body when a surprised attack was about to reach and harm them. All of them were safe from the arrows, but their enemies were upon them now. Uriah swung his shield in front of him to protect himself from the enemy's blow, after the surprised attack, there wasn't enough time for him to increase his offense, he could only increase his defense.

Uriah studied the moves of his foe with keen eyes, with a swift move he jumped and slashed from his chest down to his abdomen, he wasn't done yet, he withdrew his sword and stabbed him right on the stomach and his foe fell down to the ground with thud. He felt another foe closing in on him from behind, he swung his sword behind, then turned around, he thrust his sword into his foe's neck, his foe spurted out blood to his face and body, he immediately withdrew his sword and attacked another opponent. He swung his sword in offense and split open the abdomen of his foe, thus spilling out all his intestines, then he cut off his head from his body. He heard the echoed thud as the body and head fell to the ground. Uriah was sweating profusely, he fought one opponent after another, slashing, thrusting, swinging, stabbing, splitting and beheading. He felt both his arms getting tired, he was fighting for hours already and it seemed his enemies were not getting fewer. In fact, their enemies' number were increasing. Where were his warriors, he attempted to glance around and he saw some of his men were killed right in front of his eyes and some were on the ground, bleeding to death. Everywhere he laid his eyes on were in great chaos, there were shouting and screaming all around them. Where were the other captains, it seemed their station were the only one left and was surrounded by their enemies. They were surrounded and there were only a few of them left, 3, 2 and then, lastly, himself. Where was Joab? He couldn't see him. He was alone and in the midst of his enemies. Suddenly, it dawned on him he was deserted by his commander, betrayed and alone. Panic seized him, he knew he would die tonight but, nothing could have astounded him more than to be jilted by his commander, the king must have commanded it, but he remember that Yahweh was ahead of him. _I gave up my soul to You. Take care of my ewe lamb, Yahweh!_ Someone thwacked his sword and shield from his hands, but he crossed his hands immediately to his sides and drew out his 2 swords. He swung, thrust, stabbed, split, slashed and beheaded anyone and everyone near him. He danced the dance of death, killing everyone who challenged him to a fight. Suddenly, he felt someone stabbed through his back out from his chest, then someone stabbed through his abdomen and he felt the sharp sword slashed through his neck. He was in terrible pain, blood gushed out everywhere from his body and his mouth spurted out blood. With one last surge of energy, he flung his left hand sword to the foe who stabbed his abdomen, and the right hand sword he flung it to the foe who slashed through his neck. He felt another man brought down the blade of a sword from his shoulder to his abdomen, then another blade stabbed through his chest to his heart and everything went black.

IIIII

Joab could hear the screaming and chaos of the battle behind him. It was done. Nobody knew except himself and the king, and perhaps, Uriah. Somewhere, inside him felt awful, as the commander of the army, he'd never could have done what he just did, to abandoned a warrior, it would be way better if the warrior was someone hateful, but Uriah was innocent and he didn't deserve to die like that, surrounded by his enemies without comrade in sight. Joab would always remember this deed he'd done for the king for the rest of his life. When he got back to his tent, he quickly wrote the subtle note to report to the king, the note that would have to continue back and forth in complete pretense, an act of charade, to keep everything hidden but only understood by himself and the king. He sealed the note, he looked at the note he held in his hand, it had after all, begun with a note of information that had finally end with a note of throe.


End file.
